Dorothea, who had returned to her room after teasing Marilyn half-seriously and half-jokingly, glanced at the handsome knight who had been silently guarding her behind her and opened her mouth.
“I think I asked you to stay by Valerie’s side for the time being.”
“Unlike the outside, I have determined that there are no particular dangers inside the castle. Although you requested the safety of Valerie Germain, I am the knight who will escort Young Lady.”
A long, uncharacteristically polite answer came back.
As always, Dorothea felt a subtle sense of alienation in the emotionless, flat voice and turned to look at the door that had just closed behind her.
You said you would be obedient and follow my wishes for a few days, but is this the limit?
'I heard you're secretly stubborn.'
Should I be thankful that I finally got Luke to at least pretend to listen?
Dorothea let out a short sigh and softly ordered the stubborn knight who was standing motionless in front of the closed door.
“I know you’re listening. Come in.”
The beautiful face seen through the silently opened door still had a cool glow.
Dorothea pointed above her head as she watched him lower his eyes in silence.
“Let this go.”
The knight's hand that brushed past her was as cold as ice.
It wasn't easy to take off the hair accessory that was so well-fixed that it wouldn't shake while walking around outside all day.
If he were Dane, he would have just thrown his hands up and given up after racking his brain dozens of times.
However, Freed quickly untied the decoration that had been firmly fixed with his skillful hands.
“I would like you to stay with Valerie and Marilyn for a while longer.”
“There are enough knights residing in the castle beside me.”
For the past few days, Valerie and Marilyn have been wandering around the outskirts of the castle with some of the nobles, or perhaps Richard, at Dorothea's request.
Since the two of them were risking their lives to carry out this request, they didn't really have any trustworthy escorts, so... It seems like the third day was their limit.
“...”
Dorothea, who had been silently looking at Freed, laughed with a deflating sound.
“If anyone saw you, they would admire your extreme loyalty.”
“I am Young Lady escort.”
Freed's eyes, as he stubbornly repeated his words, were still extremely dry.
It may sound plausible, but who doesn't know that his heart is empty?
Freed lowered his eyes as usual, looking into her desolate mind as if it were a black-and-white film without a single color.
“You have to say it right. You are here to protect Luke’s ‘order.’”
“He has commanded me to protect Young Lady from anything, so unless he takes that command back, I exist to protect Young Lady.”
Dorothea poked at the falsehood in the knight's words without erasing the smile from her face.
“Then from Luke too?”
“...”
“If Luke tells you to kill me, would you refuse his order?”
If Freed wants to protect Dorothea only because of Luke's 'order', then on the contrary, if Luke's 'order' changes, he could go from being a strong escort to the most threatening figure at any time.
'Even if I knew Luke wouldn't do that.'
From his perspective, Dorothea is a 'collaborator.'
Considering the limitations of being a Prince, Dorothea was a useful ally for Luke at the moment.
So there's no way Luke would take her life.
'That doesn't mean he trusts me.'
As long as Freed was here, there was a good chance that what he saw and heard at Dorothea's side would be passed on to Luke.
‘Until now it didn’t matter, but...’
A series of events have been bothering her recently.
The current Luke seemed strangely unstable and restless.
Just because she knows him doesn't mean she could understand everything about her partner.
Is it a change of heart, or is it a change in the circumstances surrounding you?
Although he was a former military man, he was not a reckless person who acted without thinking when solving a problem.
“It’s becoming a bit difficult for Luke to hear about my whereabouts.”
Blue eyes, as beautiful as jewels, yet still devoid of warmth, stared at her.
“...You have always been by my side.”
“That’s right. Because up until now, it didn’t really matter what you did. I even half-induced you to repeat my actions."
Even if Luke were to dislike her, she needed to show him that she wasn't as easy of a noble lady as he thought.
And it worked.
Luke, who had helped her out of sheer curiosity and coincidence, came to respect Dorothea enough to reach out to her and ask for her help when needed.
“...”
A heavy silence fell.
Freed, who had been standing there dumbfounded by Dorothea's relentless pressure, opened his heavy mouth.
“I owe him a debt.”
“I know that much. Even an ignorant child would know that you don’t follow Luke because you have great loyalty.”
That must be why Luke sent him to Dorothea in the first place.
Loyalty comes from a deep respect and affection for the other person, and therefore, it is not uncommon for loyalty to go too far and take precedence over 'fate'.
For example, even if there is no specific name... He wants to get rid of impure people like Dorothea who appropriately ‘use’ Luke.
But the knight before her eyes was different.
“No matter how I treated Luke, you were always faithful to your orders to ‘protect me.’”
Dorothea nodded and sat down on the bed as she continued speaking.
“The most important thing is that I don’t need you right now.”
Lily peeked her head out from her side and climbed onto her back, landing on her head.
Freed, who was looking at the spirit wagging its tail as if giving medicine, quietly brought up a compromise.
“The order I received is to protect Young Lady from external dangers and ensure that you are safe. If I am given another order, I will tell you then.”
For a moment, a light flashed through the eyes that had seemed dry and devoid of any will.
“At this point, I’m starting to wonder.”
Dorothea continued slowly.
“Is it because you don’t like protecting those who aren’t me, or because you find the people I asked to protect annoying?”
“...”
“I understand. I’ll ask my uncle to take care of Marilyn and Valerie.”
Dorothea's gaze turned halfway toward the knight, who nodded his head without saying anything.
“Since it was your choice, no matter what happens in the future, you won’t have any complaints?”
The knight made no reply to the humorous addition.
As always, he just stood guard in front of the door to the room she was staying in.
Dorothea turned her head to see the knight leaving the door.
Her bright eyes suddenly stared at the crow circling near the window.
Judging by the way he's crying so loudly that it hurts her ears, it looks like he wants to be paid for running errands.
“I was going to give it to you anyway.”
She tore the bread she had set aside into small pieces and scattered it under the windowsill, then slowly closed her eyes.
Tinkle, tinkle. Her heart started pounding at the sound of bells coming from somewhere.
The heart that beats without mercy as if being chased by something is probably...
It must be Dover Spencer, consumed by anxiety and nervousness.
It was as if the 'life' that had been planted in him had seeped into every corner of his soul, and the sensations began to be shared vividly.
“Ugh!”
Dover got up from his seat with a single scream and wiped his face as he looked down at the damp bed.
He had long since escaped from that terrible dungeon, so what was it that was tormenting him so much?
The giant snake that had been strangling his body just moments ago was nothing more than a soft, fragrant blanket.
He looked around with bloodshot eyes and lifted the blanket with trembling hands.
It's a room in a mansion he's stayed in dozens of times.
Why does it feel so unfamiliar, as if it were his first time coming to this place?
He jumped up from where he was lying, completely terrified.
“Why on earth... why are you doing this?!”
Dover, who was pacing around the room in circles, muttered anxiously.
“Why does this fear not go away?”
He couldn't understand why the shaking didn't stop even though he was already out of danger and in a safe zone.
Unfounded anxiety began to strangle him, and eventually even caused ominous beings to visit him in hia dreams.
He could well know that his condition was not normal.
At that moment, the faint sound of a dog barking could be heard from somewhere.
The hunting dogs were barking ferociously, as if someone was hunting somewhere far away from the mansion, chasing someone.
He could tell because he had played 'hunting' dozens, hundreds of times.
It was the proud display of dogs that had cornered their prey.
In a state of eerie terror, he tried to hide his trembling and called out to someone.
“Hey, hey! Is there anyone out there?”
Unlike the usual quick-moving crowd, no one responded.
“Where on earth are you all and what are you doing!”
He opened the door annoyedly and was greeted by a quiet hallway without a single rat in sight.
Dover paused in embarrassment and looked around the unfamiliar room.
A crystal glass on the table was filled with clear, cool water.
"Ugh..."
It was a moment when he reached out for the glass, overcome by an inexplicable thirst.
For a moment, his vision became dizzy and he knocked over the glass of water with his hand.
The water that had filled the table dripped down, soaking the red carpet and eventually reaching the silver-engraved ornaments.
The silver ornaments that had been shining brilliantly on the carpet were gradually turning black.
Dover Spencer, whose bones were chilled, turned around hesitantly and started running like crazy.
'My uncle is trying to get rid of me!'
How could he not have noticed that his uncle's confidant who came to pick him up had a strange attitude?
A cold fireplace, an unguarded hallway, and a glass full of an unknown liquid.
Dover was confident.
That his uncle was planning to kill him and blame everything on him.
There was only one thought occupying him now.
He needs to meet someone who can save his life.
To his true master, the one who can protect him from the threats of Kiel Spencer.
“I haven’t failed yet. If only those idiots were just a little stronger...”
There seemed to be no reason left in the maddened mutterings.
Dover, who had been biting his fingernails, suddenly raised his head and hurriedly crossed the hallway and headed toward the basement.
As he walked, his confidence grew as if someone was encouraging him in his decision.
“He will help me. He will give me another chance...!”
They seemed to have forgotten that 'they' were not only not merciful beings, but that they did not think highly enough of Dover to give him another chance.
Soon, Dover, standing in front of a thick door, knocked on the solid iron door, forgetting that his hand was damaged.
“Master, Master...!”
The being he had desperately called out to slowly appeared behind the thick door.
“Dover Spencer.”
A gravelly voice as if it had been altered, called his name.
At that moment, the confidence that had filled him with an incomprehensible certainty disappeared like air.
Dover Spencer's face turned pale, leaving only a shell.
He couldn't figure out what courage it took to come here.
“You’re going too far. Who told you to come here?”
Dover's body froze at the flat voice coming from inside the dark hood.
It was the moment when he was about to kneel down as if collapsing under the urging of his opponent.
A thick fog once again settled over his head, which had been filled with strange impulses and incomprehensible convictions.
Something was forcibly taking hold of his consciousness and imprisoning him.
At the end of his consciousness, slowly sinking beneath the surface, Dover felt someone else opening their eyes inside his body, not himself.
Dover Spencer's eyes, which had been light brown, had now become a deep blue with a hint of blue.
“..m!”
Before the hooded figure could grasp the situation and say anything, Dover, who had thrown his head back, opened his mouth with a strange smile.
“I thought you were nearby. At least, the sorcerer has to be within a certain distance to spread the flesh that would directly affect the ‘Castle’.”
Could it be that he had noticed the presence of a stranger hiding in Dover's body, as his attitude had changed significantly from before?
“Who are you?”
There was a wariness in the voice asking the question.
A figure wearing the skin of 'Dover' turned over and raised his head clearly towards an opponent who was hiding in the darkness and whose face could not even be seen, twisted his lips.
“A person who wants to send a dark warning to you who do not know the fear of heaven.”
"What?"
Unlike his body, he was trembling as if something was wrong, the words that came out of his mouth without hesitation rebuked the other person.
“They say that humans are not satisfied with what they have, but they also go against the laws of life and death.”
“...”
The person with the hood pulled back and fluttered at the sound of catching clouds.
He felt embarrassed by the distorted voice that had never conveyed any particular emotion.
“What the hell are you talking about? Who the hell are you...”
“By now, even in the afterlife, you will be aware of the evil deeds you have committed.”
Dorothea leisurely observed his attire while her lips moved towards him.
Even though he wore a dark hood, he couldn't hide his shoes, which were decorated with fine silk thread.
White, delicate hands and slow, sluggish responses.
It was clear that the opponent was someone with a status as noble as hers.
“Sometimes, the punishment of karma is received not only in the next life but also in this life.”
The hooded figure fell silent as she continued to utter reprimands through Dover's mouth.
“Well, it’s none of my business what kind of karma you receive later.”
“...”
“But you shouldn’t have touched me and my family.”
Dorothea, with the laughter out of her voice, moved Dover's body and grabbed the face inside the hood with her hands.
“...!”
Without giving him time to scream, she passed the 'flesh' she had carried inside Dover's body onto her opponent.
The stench of burning flesh, along with the intense heat, filled the air.
Dorothea, who had squeezed out all the strength she had, whispered to her opponent who was writhing in pain with the last of her remaining strength.
“If you want to live, come find me.”
With those words, Dorothea threw away the leather she was wearing without any hesitation.
The next moment, as she opened her eyes to the body of Dorothea Highclere, the luxurious ceiling that had become familiar to her for days entered her vision.
“Phew...”
The fresh breath began to slowly drive away the unpleasant feeling.
“I think I asked you to stay by Valerie’s side for the time being.”
“Unlike the outside, I have determined that there are no particular dangers inside the castle. Although you requested the safety of Valerie Germain, I am the knight who will escort Young Lady.”
A long, uncharacteristically polite answer came back.
As always, Dorothea felt a subtle sense of alienation in the emotionless, flat voice and turned to look at the door that had just closed behind her.
You said you would be obedient and follow my wishes for a few days, but is this the limit?
'I heard you're secretly stubborn.'
Should I be thankful that I finally got Luke to at least pretend to listen?
Dorothea let out a short sigh and softly ordered the stubborn knight who was standing motionless in front of the closed door.
“I know you’re listening. Come in.”
The beautiful face seen through the silently opened door still had a cool glow.
Dorothea pointed above her head as she watched him lower his eyes in silence.
“Let this go.”
The knight's hand that brushed past her was as cold as ice.
It wasn't easy to take off the hair accessory that was so well-fixed that it wouldn't shake while walking around outside all day.
If he were Dane, he would have just thrown his hands up and given up after racking his brain dozens of times.
However, Freed quickly untied the decoration that had been firmly fixed with his skillful hands.
“I would like you to stay with Valerie and Marilyn for a while longer.”
“There are enough knights residing in the castle beside me.”
For the past few days, Valerie and Marilyn have been wandering around the outskirts of the castle with some of the nobles, or perhaps Richard, at Dorothea's request.
Since the two of them were risking their lives to carry out this request, they didn't really have any trustworthy escorts, so... It seems like the third day was their limit.
“...”
Dorothea, who had been silently looking at Freed, laughed with a deflating sound.
“If anyone saw you, they would admire your extreme loyalty.”
“I am Young Lady escort.”
Freed's eyes, as he stubbornly repeated his words, were still extremely dry.
It may sound plausible, but who doesn't know that his heart is empty?
Freed lowered his eyes as usual, looking into her desolate mind as if it were a black-and-white film without a single color.
“You have to say it right. You are here to protect Luke’s ‘order.’”
“He has commanded me to protect Young Lady from anything, so unless he takes that command back, I exist to protect Young Lady.”
Dorothea poked at the falsehood in the knight's words without erasing the smile from her face.
“Then from Luke too?”
“...”
“If Luke tells you to kill me, would you refuse his order?”
If Freed wants to protect Dorothea only because of Luke's 'order', then on the contrary, if Luke's 'order' changes, he could go from being a strong escort to the most threatening figure at any time.
'Even if I knew Luke wouldn't do that.'
From his perspective, Dorothea is a 'collaborator.'
Considering the limitations of being a Prince, Dorothea was a useful ally for Luke at the moment.
So there's no way Luke would take her life.
'That doesn't mean he trusts me.'
As long as Freed was here, there was a good chance that what he saw and heard at Dorothea's side would be passed on to Luke.
‘Until now it didn’t matter, but...’
A series of events have been bothering her recently.
The current Luke seemed strangely unstable and restless.
Just because she knows him doesn't mean she could understand everything about her partner.
Is it a change of heart, or is it a change in the circumstances surrounding you?
Although he was a former military man, he was not a reckless person who acted without thinking when solving a problem.
“It’s becoming a bit difficult for Luke to hear about my whereabouts.”
Blue eyes, as beautiful as jewels, yet still devoid of warmth, stared at her.
“...You have always been by my side.”
“That’s right. Because up until now, it didn’t really matter what you did. I even half-induced you to repeat my actions."
Even if Luke were to dislike her, she needed to show him that she wasn't as easy of a noble lady as he thought.
And it worked.
Luke, who had helped her out of sheer curiosity and coincidence, came to respect Dorothea enough to reach out to her and ask for her help when needed.
“...”
A heavy silence fell.
Freed, who had been standing there dumbfounded by Dorothea's relentless pressure, opened his heavy mouth.
“I owe him a debt.”
“I know that much. Even an ignorant child would know that you don’t follow Luke because you have great loyalty.”
That must be why Luke sent him to Dorothea in the first place.
Loyalty comes from a deep respect and affection for the other person, and therefore, it is not uncommon for loyalty to go too far and take precedence over 'fate'.
For example, even if there is no specific name... He wants to get rid of impure people like Dorothea who appropriately ‘use’ Luke.
But the knight before her eyes was different.
“No matter how I treated Luke, you were always faithful to your orders to ‘protect me.’”
Dorothea nodded and sat down on the bed as she continued speaking.
“The most important thing is that I don’t need you right now.”
Lily peeked her head out from her side and climbed onto her back, landing on her head.
Freed, who was looking at the spirit wagging its tail as if giving medicine, quietly brought up a compromise.
“The order I received is to protect Young Lady from external dangers and ensure that you are safe. If I am given another order, I will tell you then.”
For a moment, a light flashed through the eyes that had seemed dry and devoid of any will.
“At this point, I’m starting to wonder.”
Dorothea continued slowly.
“Is it because you don’t like protecting those who aren’t me, or because you find the people I asked to protect annoying?”
“...”
“I understand. I’ll ask my uncle to take care of Marilyn and Valerie.”
Dorothea's gaze turned halfway toward the knight, who nodded his head without saying anything.
“Since it was your choice, no matter what happens in the future, you won’t have any complaints?”
The knight made no reply to the humorous addition.
As always, he just stood guard in front of the door to the room she was staying in.
Dorothea turned her head to see the knight leaving the door.
Her bright eyes suddenly stared at the crow circling near the window.
Judging by the way he's crying so loudly that it hurts her ears, it looks like he wants to be paid for running errands.
“I was going to give it to you anyway.”
She tore the bread she had set aside into small pieces and scattered it under the windowsill, then slowly closed her eyes.
Tinkle, tinkle. Her heart started pounding at the sound of bells coming from somewhere.
The heart that beats without mercy as if being chased by something is probably...
It must be Dover Spencer, consumed by anxiety and nervousness.
It was as if the 'life' that had been planted in him had seeped into every corner of his soul, and the sensations began to be shared vividly.
***
“Ugh!”
Dover got up from his seat with a single scream and wiped his face as he looked down at the damp bed.
He had long since escaped from that terrible dungeon, so what was it that was tormenting him so much?
The giant snake that had been strangling his body just moments ago was nothing more than a soft, fragrant blanket.
He looked around with bloodshot eyes and lifted the blanket with trembling hands.
It's a room in a mansion he's stayed in dozens of times.
Why does it feel so unfamiliar, as if it were his first time coming to this place?
He jumped up from where he was lying, completely terrified.
“Why on earth... why are you doing this?!”
Dover, who was pacing around the room in circles, muttered anxiously.
“Why does this fear not go away?”
He couldn't understand why the shaking didn't stop even though he was already out of danger and in a safe zone.
Unfounded anxiety began to strangle him, and eventually even caused ominous beings to visit him in hia dreams.
He could well know that his condition was not normal.
At that moment, the faint sound of a dog barking could be heard from somewhere.
The hunting dogs were barking ferociously, as if someone was hunting somewhere far away from the mansion, chasing someone.
He could tell because he had played 'hunting' dozens, hundreds of times.
It was the proud display of dogs that had cornered their prey.
In a state of eerie terror, he tried to hide his trembling and called out to someone.
“Hey, hey! Is there anyone out there?”
Unlike the usual quick-moving crowd, no one responded.
“Where on earth are you all and what are you doing!”
He opened the door annoyedly and was greeted by a quiet hallway without a single rat in sight.
Dover paused in embarrassment and looked around the unfamiliar room.
A crystal glass on the table was filled with clear, cool water.
"Ugh..."
It was a moment when he reached out for the glass, overcome by an inexplicable thirst.
For a moment, his vision became dizzy and he knocked over the glass of water with his hand.
The water that had filled the table dripped down, soaking the red carpet and eventually reaching the silver-engraved ornaments.
The silver ornaments that had been shining brilliantly on the carpet were gradually turning black.
Dover Spencer, whose bones were chilled, turned around hesitantly and started running like crazy.
'My uncle is trying to get rid of me!'
How could he not have noticed that his uncle's confidant who came to pick him up had a strange attitude?
A cold fireplace, an unguarded hallway, and a glass full of an unknown liquid.
Dover was confident.
That his uncle was planning to kill him and blame everything on him.
There was only one thought occupying him now.
He needs to meet someone who can save his life.
To his true master, the one who can protect him from the threats of Kiel Spencer.
“I haven’t failed yet. If only those idiots were just a little stronger...”
There seemed to be no reason left in the maddened mutterings.
Dover, who had been biting his fingernails, suddenly raised his head and hurriedly crossed the hallway and headed toward the basement.
As he walked, his confidence grew as if someone was encouraging him in his decision.
“He will help me. He will give me another chance...!”
They seemed to have forgotten that 'they' were not only not merciful beings, but that they did not think highly enough of Dover to give him another chance.
Soon, Dover, standing in front of a thick door, knocked on the solid iron door, forgetting that his hand was damaged.
“Master, Master...!”
The being he had desperately called out to slowly appeared behind the thick door.
“Dover Spencer.”
A gravelly voice as if it had been altered, called his name.
At that moment, the confidence that had filled him with an incomprehensible certainty disappeared like air.
Dover Spencer's face turned pale, leaving only a shell.
He couldn't figure out what courage it took to come here.
“You’re going too far. Who told you to come here?”
Dover's body froze at the flat voice coming from inside the dark hood.
It was the moment when he was about to kneel down as if collapsing under the urging of his opponent.
A thick fog once again settled over his head, which had been filled with strange impulses and incomprehensible convictions.
Something was forcibly taking hold of his consciousness and imprisoning him.
At the end of his consciousness, slowly sinking beneath the surface, Dover felt someone else opening their eyes inside his body, not himself.
Dover Spencer's eyes, which had been light brown, had now become a deep blue with a hint of blue.
“..m!”
Before the hooded figure could grasp the situation and say anything, Dover, who had thrown his head back, opened his mouth with a strange smile.
“I thought you were nearby. At least, the sorcerer has to be within a certain distance to spread the flesh that would directly affect the ‘Castle’.”
Could it be that he had noticed the presence of a stranger hiding in Dover's body, as his attitude had changed significantly from before?
“Who are you?”
There was a wariness in the voice asking the question.
A figure wearing the skin of 'Dover' turned over and raised his head clearly towards an opponent who was hiding in the darkness and whose face could not even be seen, twisted his lips.
“A person who wants to send a dark warning to you who do not know the fear of heaven.”
"What?"
Unlike his body, he was trembling as if something was wrong, the words that came out of his mouth without hesitation rebuked the other person.
“They say that humans are not satisfied with what they have, but they also go against the laws of life and death.”
“...”
The person with the hood pulled back and fluttered at the sound of catching clouds.
He felt embarrassed by the distorted voice that had never conveyed any particular emotion.
“What the hell are you talking about? Who the hell are you...”
“By now, even in the afterlife, you will be aware of the evil deeds you have committed.”
Dorothea leisurely observed his attire while her lips moved towards him.
Even though he wore a dark hood, he couldn't hide his shoes, which were decorated with fine silk thread.
White, delicate hands and slow, sluggish responses.
It was clear that the opponent was someone with a status as noble as hers.
“Sometimes, the punishment of karma is received not only in the next life but also in this life.”
The hooded figure fell silent as she continued to utter reprimands through Dover's mouth.
“Well, it’s none of my business what kind of karma you receive later.”
“...”
“But you shouldn’t have touched me and my family.”
Dorothea, with the laughter out of her voice, moved Dover's body and grabbed the face inside the hood with her hands.
“...!”
Without giving him time to scream, she passed the 'flesh' she had carried inside Dover's body onto her opponent.
The stench of burning flesh, along with the intense heat, filled the air.
Dorothea, who had squeezed out all the strength she had, whispered to her opponent who was writhing in pain with the last of her remaining strength.
“If you want to live, come find me.”
With those words, Dorothea threw away the leather she was wearing without any hesitation.
The next moment, as she opened her eyes to the body of Dorothea Highclere, the luxurious ceiling that had become familiar to her for days entered her vision.
“Phew...”
The fresh breath began to slowly drive away the unpleasant feeling.
The New Series, I Came To Find Flowers is out now! You can check it HERE!
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